Abstract: A method of operating a fuel cell system includes providing fuel and air to a stack of fuel cells located in a hotbox, operating the stack to generate an anode exhaust and a cathode exhaust, in a startup mode, providing a first amount of the anode exhaust and the cathode exhaust to an anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO) located in the hotbox to oxidize the anode exhaust and to generate heat which is provided to the stack, and in a steady-state mode, stopping providing the anode exhaust to the ATO or providing to the ATO a second amount of the anode exhaust which is smaller than the first amount, and providing the anode exhaust and the cathode exhaust outside the hotbox.

Abstract: A fuel cell system and method for using a peak shaving gas, the system including: a fuel inlet configured to receive fuel from a fuel source; a catalytic partial oxidation (CPOx) reactor configured to at least partially oxidize the fuel during startup of the system; a blower configured to provide air to the CPOx reactor; a gas analyzer configured to determine a composition of fuel provided to the CPOx reactor from the fuel inlet; an oxidation catalyst configured to reduce an O2 content of fuel received from the CPOx reactor; a reforming catalyst configured to partially reform fuel received from the oxidation catalyst; and a stack of fuel cells configured to generate electricity using fuel received from the reforming catalyst.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for electrolysis at very large scale (e.g., exceeding 100 megawatts (MW), and at gigawatt (GW) scale having a solid oxide electolyzer cell (SOEC) system including one or more SOEC columns, and one or more heat exchangers, each of the heat exchangers configured to receive input stream that is used to heat respective SOEC columns, wherein each of the heat exchangers is located along respective SOEC columns such that the input steam exiting the heat exchanger is directed towards adjacent SOEC columns.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes at least one electrochemical pump separator to separate hydrogen and carbon dioxide from a fuel exhaust stream.

Abstract: A method of operating a fuel cell power system includes providing a fresh hydrogen fuel to power modules that each contain a heater and a stack of fuel cells, providing a fuel exhaust containing hydrogen and water from the stack to a condenser, removing water from the fuel exhaust to generate a recycled fuel containing dewatered hydrogen, and pressurizing and recycling the recycled fuel output from the condenser to the power modules. The removed water may be vaporized in a stack cathode exhaust.

Abstract: A method of operating power system includes generating compressed air, providing the compressed air and fuel to fuel cell power modules, and providing a cathode exhaust from the power modules to a heat exchanger.

Abstract: A system includes a digestion system configured to convert a digestate into a fuel gas, and a fuel cell power system configured to convert the fuel gas into power and heat, and to provide the heat to the digestion system.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes at least one of plural electrochemical pump separators to separate carbon dioxide from a fuel exhaust stream or a combination of a gas separator and a fuel exhaust cooler located outside a hotbox.

Abstract: An electrolyzer system including a hotbox, one or more stacks disposed within the hotbox, a fuel exhaust conduit that receives fuel exhaust output by the stack, a fuel exhaust separator that separates liquid from the fuel exhaust, and a recycling conduit that fluidly connects the fuel exhaust to the fuel inlet conduit.

Abstract: Solid oxide electroyzer cell (SOEC) systems and methods that include a stack of electrolyzer cells configured to receive steam and generate a hydrogen and steam exhaust stream, and a steam recycle blower configured to recycle a portion of the hydrogen and steam exhaust stream back to the stack.

Abstract: A fuel cell system column includes a first terminal plate connected to a first electrical output of the column, a second terminal plate connected to a second electrical output of the column, at least one first fuel cell stack located in a middle portion of the column between the first terminal plate and the second terminal plate, and at least one electrical connection which is electrically connected to the middle portion of the column and which is configured to provide a more uniform fuel utilization across the first column.

Abstract: A method of operating a fuel cell system includes providing an anode exhaust from a fuel cell stack to a water injector, supplying water to the water injector, and injecting the water from the water injector into the anode exhaust to vaporize the water and generate a humidified anode exhaust.

Abstract: A fuel cell system and method, the system including a hotbox, a fuel cell stack disposed in the hotbox, an anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO) disposed in the hotbox, and a fuel exhaust processor fluidly connected to the hotbox. The fuel exhaust processor includes a first hydrogen pump configured to extract hydrogen from the anode exhaust received from the fuel cell stack and to output the hydrogen to a first hydrogen stream provided to the fuel cell stack, a second hydrogen pump configured to extract hydrogen from anode exhaust output from the first hydrogen pump and to output the hydrogen to the first hydrogen stream, and a third hydrogen pump configured to extract hydrogen from anode exhaust output from the second hydrogen pump and to output the hydrogen to a second hydrogen stream provided to the ATO.

Abstract: A method of operating a fuel cell system includes providing fuel and air to a stack of fuel cells located in a hotbox, operating the stack to generate an anode exhaust and a cathode exhaust, in a startup mode, providing a first amount of the anode exhaust and the cathode exhaust to an anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO) located in the hotbox to oxidize the anode exhaust and to generate heat which is provided to the stack, and in a steady-state mode, stopping providing the anode exhaust to the ATO or providing to the ATO a second amount of the anode exhaust which is smaller than the first amount, and providing the anode exhaust and the cathode exhaust outside the hotbox.

Abstract: An electrolyzer system and a fuel cell system that include hydrogen blowers configured to compress hydrogen streams generated by the systems. The electrolyzer system includes a steam generator configured to generate steam, a stack of solid oxide electrolyzer cells configured to generate a hydrogen stream using the steam received from the steam generator, a hydrogen blower configured to pressurize the hydrogen stream generated by the stack, and a hydrogen processor configured to compress the pressurized hydrogen stream.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes at least one hot box including a fuel cell stack and producing an anode exhaust product, at least one hydrogen pump, at least one product conduit fluidly connecting an anode exhaust product outlet of the hot box to an inlet of the at least one hydrogen pump, a compressed hydrogen product conduit connected to a compressed hydrogen product outlet of the at least one hydrogen pump, and at least one effluent conduit connected to an unpumped effluent outlet of the at least one hydrogen pump. Additional embodiments include a fuel cell system in which the anode exhaust product stream is provided to at least one carbon dioxide pump to generate a compressed carbon dioxide product and an unpumped effluent that may be recycled to the at least one hot box of the fuel cell system. In various embodiments, the fuel cell system may use or recapture essentially all of the hydrogen content and nearly all of the carbon content of the input fuel that is provided to the fuel cell system.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack, an anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO), an ATO injector configured to mix a first portion of an anode exhaust from the fuel cell stack with a cathode exhaust from the fuel cell stack and to provide a mixture of the first portion of the anode exhaust and the cathode exhaust into the ATO, an anode exhaust conduit which is configured to provide the first portion of the anode exhaust into the ATO injector, and cathode exhaust conduit which is configured to provide at least a portion of the cathode exhaust from the fuel cell stack into the ATO injector. The ATO injector includes injector tubes or injection apertures.

Abstract: A method for operating a fuel cell system is provided. The method includes controlling a provision of fuel to the fuel cell system operating in a steady-state mode. The catalyst sensor is operated by providing a portion of the fuel and anode exhaust generated by the system to the catalyst sensor. Further, a change in an outlet temperature of the catalyst sensor is detected. Thereafter, it is determined whether a reformation catalyst of the catalyst sensor is poisoned by contaminants in the fuel based on the detected change in the outlet temperature.

Abstract: An electrolyzer system includes a stack of solid oxide electrolyzer cells configured receive steam and output a hydrogen exhaust and an oxygen exhaust, a supplemental steam generator configured to generate the steam provided to the stack by vaporizing water using heat extracted from the oxygen exhaust, a water preheater configured to preheat water using heat extracted from the oxygen exhaust, and a primary steam generator configured to generate the steam provided to the stack by vaporizing the water preheated by the water preheater.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack, an anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO), an ATO injector configured to mix a first portion of an anode exhaust from the fuel cell stack with a cathode exhaust from the fuel cell stack and to provide a mixture of the first portion of the anode exhaust and the cathode exhaust into the ATO, an anode exhaust conduit which is configured to provide the first portion of the anode exhaust into the ATO injector, and cathode exhaust conduit which is configured to provide at least a portion of the cathode exhaust from the fuel cell stack into the ATO injector. The ATO injector includes injector tubes or injection apertures.